The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of spring devices and, more particularly, to displaceably-mounted lateral support elements for engaging a flexible wall of a gas spring assembly. Gas spring assemblies including one or more of such lateral support element as well as suspension systems that includes one or more of such gas spring assemblies and methods of manufacture are also included.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is capable of broad application and use in connection with a variety of applications and/or environments. For example, the subject matter of the present disclosure could be used in connection with gas spring assemblies of non-wheeled vehicles, support structures, height adjusting systems and actuators associated with industrial machinery, components thereof and/or other such equipment. In some cases, the subject matter of the present disclosure may find particular application and use in conjunction with wheeled vehicles (e.g., rail vehicles), and will be described herein with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is amenable to use in other applications and environments, and that the specific uses shown and described herein are merely exemplary. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to use associated with gas spring suspension systems of wheeled vehicles.
A suspension system, such as may be used in connection with motorized rail vehicles and/or rolling-stock rail vehicles, for example, can include one or more spring elements for accommodating forces and loads associated with the operation and use of the corresponding device (e.g., a motorized vehicle) to which the suspension system is operatively connected. In such applications, it is often considered desirable to utilize spring elements that operate at a lower spring rate, as a reduced spring rate can favorably influence certain performance characteristics, such as vehicle ride quality and comfort, for example. That is, it is well understood in the art that the use of a spring element having a higher spring rate (i.e. a stiffer spring) will transmit a greater magnitude of inputs (e.g., road inputs) to the sprung mass and that, in some applications, this could undesirably affect the sprung mass, such as, for example, by resulting in a rougher, less-comfortable ride of a vehicle. Whereas, the use of spring elements having lower spring rates (i.e., a softer or more-compliant spring) will transmit a lesser amount of the inputs to the sprung mass.
Generally, vehicle performance characteristics, such as ride quality and comfort, are commonly identified as being related to factors, such as spring rate, that are acting in an approximately axial direction in relation to the gas spring assemblies. It has been recognized, however, that relative movement in the lateral direction (i.e., a direction transverse to the axes of the gas spring assemblies) can also influence vehicle performance characteristics, such as ride quality and comfort, for example. In some cases, such lateral movement can include movement of the opposing end members of a gas spring assembly relative to one another in a direction transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to the axis of the gas spring assembly that is formed between the opposing end members.
Known gas spring assemblies sometimes include a flexible wall and a lateral support element that engages the flexible wall to influence the lateral stiffness rate of the gas spring assemblies. In some cases, known lateral support element designs can result in a lower lateral stiffness rate that can permit excessive lateral deflection of the end members relative to one another. While such performance conditions may, in some cases, result in favorable ride quality and comfort, performance characteristics such as vehicle handling and control can be undesirably affected. In other cases, known lateral support element designs can result in higher lateral stiffness rates that can provide favorable vehicle handling and control. However, such high lateral stiffness rates can also generate undesired performance characteristics, such as lower ride quality and/or comfort.
Notwithstanding the broad usage and overall success of the wide variety of gas spring assemblies including lateral support elements that are known in the art, it is believed that a need exists to meet the competing goals and/or to overcome other disadvantages of known constructions while still retaining comparable or improved performance, ease of manufacture, ease of assembly, ease of installation and/or reduced cost of manufacture. Thus, it is believed to be generally desirable to develop new constructions and/or designs that may advance the art of gas spring devices.